Mental Health Issues of Children and Adolescents

Question 0

Characteristics of Good Mental health for a child or adolescent

Answer 0

1. ability to appropriately interpret reality, as well as having a correct perception of the surrounding environment
2. positive self-concept
3. ability to cope with stress and anxiety in an age-appropriate way
4. Mastery of developmental tasks
5. ability to express oneself spontaneously and creatively
6. ability to develop and maintain satisfying relationships

Question 1

Pathologic Behaviors

Answer 1

1. Are not age appropriate
2. Deviate from cultural norms
3. Create deficits or impairments in adaptive functioning.

Question 2

Etiology and Risk Factors

Answer 2

1. Genetic links or chromosomal abnormalities
2. Biochemical- neurotransmitter alterations,
3. Social and environmental
4. Cultural and Ethnic- difficulty with assimilation
5. Resiliency- ability to adapt to changes in the environment
6. Witnessing or experiencing traumatic events

Question 3

Depressive Disorders

Risk Factors

Answer 3

1. Family history of depression
2. Physical or sexual abuse or neglect
3. Homelessness
4. Disputes among parents, conflicts with peers or family, and rejection by peers or family
5. Bullying, either as the aggressor or victim, including both traditional bullying and cyber bullying behavior.
6. Engaging in high risk behavior
7. learning disabilities
8. having a chronic illness

Question 4

Depressive Disorders

Subjective & Objective Data

Answer 4

1. Feelings of sadness
2. Nonspecific complaints related to health
3. Engaging in solitary play or work
4. Changes in appetite resulting in weight changes
5. Changes in sleeping patterns
6. Irritability
7. Aggression
8. High-risk behavior
9. poor school performance
10. feelings of hopelessness about the future
11. suicidal ideation or suicide attempts

Question 5

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Answer 5

1. Excessive anxiety when a child is separated from or anticipating separation from home or parents. The anxiety may develop into a school phobia or phobia of bing left alone. Depression is also common.
2. Anxiety may develop after a specific stressor
3. Anxiety may progress to a panic disorder or type of phobia

Question 6

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Answer 6

1. PTSD is precipitated by experiencing witnessing, or learning of a traumatic event.
2. Children and adolescents who have PTSD exhibit psychologic indications of anxiety, depression, phobia, or conversion reactions
3. If the anxiety resulting from PTSD is displayed externally, it is often manifested as irritability and aggression with family and friends, poor academic performance, somatic reports, belief that life will be short, and difficulty sleeping.

Question 7

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Characteristics

Answer 7

1. Negativity
2. Disobedience
3. hostility
4. Defiant behaviors
5. stubbornness
6. argumentativeness
7. limit testing
8. unwillingness to compromise
9. refusal to accept responsibility for misbehavior

Question 8

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Characteristics continued

Answer 8

1. Misbehavior is usually demonstrated at home and directed toward the person best known.
2. Children and adolescents who have ODD do not see themselves as defiant. They view their behavior as a response to unreasonable demands and circumstances
3. Clients who have this disorder may exhibit low self-esteem, mood lability, and a low frustration threshold.
4. May develop into a conduct disorder.

Question 9

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Answer 9

1. Recurrent temper outbursts that are sever and do not correlate with situation.
   
   • Manifested verbally and physically and may include agression
2. Temper outbursts are present 3 or more times per week and are observable by others- parents, peers, teachers
3. Onset between 6-10

Question 10

Conduct Disorder

Answer 10

1. Persistent pattern of behavior that violates the rights of others or rules and norms of society.
   - Aggression to people and animals
   - Destruction of property
   - Deceitfulness or theft
   - Serious violations of rules

Question 11

Conduct Disorder

Contributing Factors

Answer 11

1. Parental rejection and neglect
2. Difficult infant temperament
3. Inconsistent child-rearing practices with harsh discipline
4. physical or sexual abuse
5. lack of supervision
6. early institutionalization
7. frequent changing of caregivers
8. large family size
9. association with delinquent peer groups
10. Parent with a history of psychological illness

Question 12

Conduct Disorder

manifestations

Answer 12

1. Lack of remorse
2. Bullies, threatens, and intimidates others
3. believes aggression is justified
4. low self esteem, irritability, temper outbursts, reckless behavior
5. signs of suicidal ideation
6. concurrent learning disorders or cognitive impairment
7. physical cruelty to others and animals
8. destroys property of others
9. runs aways from home
10. lies, shoplifts, and is truant from school

Question 13

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Answer 13

1. Involves the inability of a person to control behaviors requiring sustained attention
2. Inattention- difficulty in paying attention, listening, and focusing
3. impulsivity- difficulty waiting turns, constantly interrupting others
4. hyperactivity- fidgeting, inability to sit still…
5. May place child at risk for injury
6. behaviors associated with ADHD must be present prior to age 12 and must be present in more than one setting to be diagnosed.

Question 14

Inattention

Answer 14

difficulty in paying attention, listening, and focusing

Question 15

Impulsivity

Answer 15

difficulty waiting turns, constantly interrupting others, acting without consideration of consequences.

Question 16

Hyperactivity

Answer 16

fidgeting, inability to sit still, running and climbing inappropriately, difficulty playing quietly and talking excessively.

Question 17

Types of ADHD

Answer 17

1. Combined type- client exhibits both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors
2. ADHD predominantly inattentive
3. ADHD predominantly hyperactive-impulsive

Question 18

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer 18

1. A complex neurodevelopmental disorder thought to be of genetic origin with a wide spectrum of behaviors affecting an individuals ability to communicate and interact with others. Cognitive and language development are typically delayed. Characteristic behaviors include inability to maintain eye contact, repetitive actions, and strict observance of routines.
2. present in early childhood and is more common in boys than girls
3. A wide variability of functioning.

Question 19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Physical difficulties

Answer 19

1. Sensory integration dysfunction
2. Sleep disorder
3. Digestive disorders
4. Feeding disorders
5. epilepsy
6. Allergies

Question 20

Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Answer 20

1. Onset of deficits and impairments during the developmental period of infancy or childhood.
2. Intellectual deficits with mental abilities such as reasoning, abstract thinking, academic learning, and learning from prior experiences
3. impaired ability to maintain personal independence and social responsibility, including activities of daily living, social participation, and the need for ongoing support at school.

Question 21

Specific learning disorder

Answer 21

1. persistent difficulty in acquiring reading, writing, or mathematical skills
2. Performance in one or more of the academic areas is significantly lower than the average range for the clients age, level of intelligence, or educational level
3. benefit from individualized education program (IEP)

Question 22

Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer 22

1. Initiate a referral for early intervention
2. Provide a structured environment
3. Consult with parents to provide consistent and individualized care
4. Encourage parents to participate in the child’s care and treatment plan as much as possible
5. Use short, concise, and developmentally appropriate communication
6. Identify desired behaviors and reward them
7. Role model social skills
8. Role play situations that involve conflict and resolution strategies
9. encourage verbal communication
10. determine emotional and situational triggers
11. give plenty of notice before changing routines
12. carefully monitor the child’s behaviors to ensure safety.